Living in Downtown Indianapolis has it pros and cons. Star columnist weighs the factors between living in Indianapolis or moving to the suburbs. / (Robert Scheer/The Star)

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If you live in this city and have kids and you have choices, it's inevitable. At some point, regrettably, you will find yourself questioning the wisdom of staying.

As much as you might not want to, you'll find yourself asking the same questions many other homeowners and parents have asked.

Should I move to the suburbs, where life in many ways is easier? Is Indianapolis capable of overcoming its problems and remaining strong? Do I have to give up the city life I enjoy so much because of pragmatic concerns?

Those are tough questions. For my family, the benefits of living in Indianapolis -- the vibrancy and uniqueness of some neighborhoods, the diversity -- so far outweigh the gravitational pull that lures many people away. But will that balance one day shift? It's something I think about a lot.

The funny thing is that many of the most troubling aspects of city life haven't made me think seriously about emigrating past the county line.

Crime? It's not much of a factor, although it seems rare that a week passes in which I don't hear about a friend, a source or an acquaintance who has had her home burglarized, his car stolen or endured something even worse.

Education? This comes closer to making me think about leaving, but by itself doesn't have me speed-dialing the Realtor. There is, after all, an abundance of good educational choices for families these days, even for those of us who live in school districts that we wouldn't entrust with our children.

There are other concerns, of course, such as the long-term stability of home values. Then there is the city's tax base, which is so tenuous that residents often are forced to accept inadequate services -- an understaffed police department, a sad mass-transit system and, traditionally, poor infrastructure.

None of these things has me daydreaming about homes in Carmel or Avon, but something else does: Channel 16.

That's Marion County's government-access channel, which broadcasts City-County Council meetings. Its programming sometimes makes me wonder whether this city can continue to overcome the obstacles that threaten it.

On many evenings this year, I sat on my couch watching Channel 16, flabbergasted by the partisan, obstructionist actions of a few key members of the Democratic council majority, most notably Councilman Brian Mahern.

Mahern and his allies have attempted to stand in the way of much-needed development projects, new schools and, most important, bipartisan cooperation. They've not offered reasonable opposition and alternatives, which would be welcome, but rather petty distractions.

It's led to a woefully underperforming council that's had a disappointing year -- one too often spent bickering instead of tackling big issues.

So I've found myself asking more questions: Is this really the best we can do? How can a city tackle major problems if some of its leaders can't focus on the right things? It's hard not to wonder whether the low-caliber political antics are a warning of things to come in a city that's finding it hard to persuade smart people to run for office.

So while crime, schools and taxes don't cause me to seriously contemplate leaving Marion County, Channel 16 scares the hell out of me.

Mahern gets the most attention, as he has been the most ridiculous, offering bitter and often nonsensical opposition, stalling progress presumably for the sake of partisanship or his own ego. In meeting after meeting this fall, the council vice president veered zealously from grievance to grievance, with no apparent goal other than to throw a fit.

He'd have more credibility if he had simply stood on his desk and screamed: "Look at me!" Because that seems to be the motive behind the actions of a man with wild fantasies of someday becoming mayor.

Unfortunately for Democrats, all that Mahern and a few others -- such as Councilmen Vernon Brown and William Oliver -- have done is make Mayor Greg Ballard and the Republican council minority look like the adults in the room. Mahern almost singlehandedly has damaged the local Democratic brand. By fighting just about everything, by appearing hostile to every idea, he and others make it impossible for their party to be taken seriously as the loyal opposition to the mayor.

The political games led to tortuous debates over development on Massachusetts Avenue, and they interfered with the process of authorizing much-needed charter schools. (In Indianapolis, Democrats originally led the fight to create a network of charter schools.) Fortunately, some Democrats privately acknowledge how embarrassing the antics are and insist they hope to improve the party's standing going forward.

In recent weeks, Council President Maggie Lewis, who remains impressive, made clear she is in charge and will put the city ahead of the political wishes of some of her Democratic colleagues. She wisely prevented Mahern, Brown and others, for instance, from having much say over a series of heavily vetted charter schools by steering the approval process away from a committee on which they serve.

Mahern recently announced he would not run for his leadership spot within the caucus again, surely knowing some in his party had tired of him so much that winning that post a second time would be beyond his reach.

Still, he was hostile as usual at a meeting this week, and the tension between him and Lewis was obvious during a few exchanges. It's hard to imagine Mahern suddenly will return to being the reasonable voice on the council that he once was, but here's hoping.

But every time I watch Channel 16, and I see how hard it is for the thoughtful members to push through initiatives that should be no-brainers, I wonder how long good people will continue to run for such offices, and how long it will be before the troublemakers, who never seem to go away, take charge.

Every city faces huge challenges, and those lacking strong leaders fall hard. That's what worries me most about this city, and that sadly should cause many people to wonder whether it's time to cross the county line.